DETERMINANTS OF IMMIGRANT SELECTIVITY AND SKILLS

Abstract

Whether immigrants are positively or negatively self-selected is much disputed. Whereas most previous studies have addressed this question by comparing the earnings of immigrants to those of U.S. natives, this analysis uses occupation to examine the skill level of immigrants relative to their home country population. Data on the occupational distribution of individuals granted legal permanent residence in 1995 indicate that the proportion of immigrants in skilled occupations is related to the corresponding proportion in source countries but not necessarily to the return to skill and other economic factors in the country of origin.

Citation

Zavodny, M. (2003), "DETERMINANTS OF IMMIGRANT SELECTIVITY AND SKILLS", Polachek, S.W. (Ed.) Worker Well-Being and Public Policy (Research in Labor Economics, Vol. 22), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 269-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-9121(03)22008-2